Paneer

An unaged, unsalted acid set, non-melting fresh cheese – the most common 'cheese' in India. Vegetarian, as no rennet is used as coagulant, it is an important protein source for non-vegan buddhists. It can be used in much the same way as firm tofu, i.e marinated, fried, in sauce...a very versatile dairy product.

Paneer is the only type of cheese traditionally known in South Asia. The ruling aristocracy in the second millennium AD was of Turkic (Central Asian) and Persian origin, and it was they who introduced paneer to South Asia.